Subject: Social Studies

Culture: Indian

Topic: Art

Grade Level: 3 Grade

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Paper Marigold Activity

Book: “Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala” by Meena Patel 2019

Social Justice Standard

Students will respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of
others and will exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.

Nevada Academic Content Standard (K-5 ELA+Social studies)

With prompting and support, construct organized explanations for various audiences and
purposes.

Objectives

· The student will foster curiosity about different cultures and backgrounds through working in
various different group settings with 85% accuracy.

· The student will be able to utilize collaboration skills to work in groups on a project and
present a topic in front of the class with 90% accuracy.

· The student will apply fine motor skills to create artistic objects with 95% accuracy.

Materials

· “Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala” by Meena Patel 2019

· 1 sheet of gift wrapping tissue paper (per student)

· Scissors

· Green pipe cleaners

Procedure

1. Introduce the book by presenting a wreath of real marigold flowers (a common festive
object in India)

2. Read the story with emphasis on cultural foods, clothing, and practices.
3. Discuss the story and present more detailed images of the food and clothing mentioned in
the book. Allow any South Asian students to answer questions from other students and share
their culture if they are comfortable doing so.

1. In what ways is Priya still connected to India, despite never having seen it?

2. How does Bhabi unknowingly keep Indian culture alive in the house?

3. What are some ways that our own culture reflects in our day-to-day life?

4. What are some questions that we may have for Priya?

5. When are marigolds more present on the streets in India? (the answer is in the
book)

Activities

1. Marigold Wreath

I will demonstrate the process of making marigolds out of yellow and orange tissue paper by
cutting pleating the paper and binding it together with a green pipe cleaner. I will then have
each student make enough marigolds to use up one piece of tissue each. I will then give
each student a chance to come up one at a time and secure their flowers into an empty
wreath. By the time they’ve all hung up their flowers, the wreath is complete and will be
hung on the door.

2. Cultural Jigsaw Activity

The class will be put into groups and given a part of Indian culture to research and present
(clothing, food, holidays). Each group will be given books relevant to their topic to read and
use for their presentation.

Assessment

Each student in the class will be asked to recall an interesting fact they had learned through the
cultural jigsaw activity.

Dimensions of Multicultural Education

This lesson plan is heavily focused on creating an empowering school culture. This is done
through proper education and knowledge of a culture. Providing this form of education is a step
towards understanding and including those of different ethnic backgrounds and empowering
them. This lesson plan also helps others understand their own culture and understand the
differences and similarities that shape our worlds. Students will be able to face their
misconceptions and ideas with an informed perspective.